Commercial Compost Systems
Commercial compost systems generally manage a narrow range of feedstock materials in relatively large volumes. Examples include: fish waste, grape pumace, fruit pulp, greenhouse residuals, and some agricultural / livestock by-products such as beef paunch manure and poultry offal.
Commercial compost systems mostly range from medium to large scale operations, and they are generally located at or near the site where the waste is generated. In some instances, they are regionally based (as with fish waste) but this is not typically the case.
Because these waste materials are often "highly putrescible" (i.e., potentially foul-smelling), commercial compost systems pose special challenges in terms of both facility design and method of operation. O2Compost has been very successful at designing commercial systems and training operations personnel in the Science and Art of Composting as a means of mitigating off-site impacts and optimizing product quality.
In 2008, O2Compost had the opportunity to work closely with Engineered Compost Systems (ECS) on the Lenz Enterprises Compost Facility in Stanwood, Washington. O2Compost was responsible for overall facility layout, civil and structural design, and obtaining operating permits.
ECS provided their reversing aeration system (capable of both positive and negative aeration) and biofilter as shown in the photo above. ECS also provided their CompTroller™, an automated aeration control and monitoring system. The CompTroller™ is remotely accessible via the web and is flexible, robust, and keeps the operator's data safe.
After five years of operation, Lenz Enterprises has been a model commercial compost facility, managing over 50,000 tons per year of challenging feedstocks with zero odor complaints from the local community.